Decks/Mono-White Aggro
Standard List This is a standard list for Mono-White Aggro tweaked to taste for my own personal use. 19 Land Variant I started experimenting with this variant when I found that I was getting flooded in a 22 land deck. Basically it tries to take advantage of a low average cost (less than 2) and the fact that MTG Arena picks the best of two hands for your opening hand. You generally want to keep a hand with at least two lands. Anything less can be risky — but if you have a decent amount of 1-drops / token producers and a Legion's Landing you can try risking it if you're feeling brave. I eventually cut the removal entirely from this deck. This is probably a questionable move, but with only 3 Seal Away's in the former list getting ahold of removal was anything but consistent. This list basically looks to generate a wide board and use multiple pumps to punch through for lethal. Unless against a deck that is actively killing your creatures it's feasible to Ascend around turn 4, but I've managed to trigger it as early as 3. This is the list I currently favor in QC, and I have been diligently recording my match-ups with it: Mono-White Aggro 19 Land Stats Spreadsheet For charts and the import code for this variant see Mono-White Aggro 19 Land Variant. About the Author I'm just a Diamond 1 player. Just kidding, I'm a Master now. Still, take my advice with a grain of salt. To say I'm the "Author" of this deck is a gross exaggeration. This is the standard mono-white list (though perhaps with deviations in choice of Trial of Solidarity over and the package). Tips 1. If is your only turn 1 play, don't be afraid to play her for tempo. Her ability, while useful, is fairly situational and it's often more valuable to exert pressure than to ensure you're getting the maximum potential out of every card. 2. The same can be said for . While you may be tempted to hold on to them to "live the dream" and bounce , it's often more valuable to get an early first-strike creature out or to get you closer to Ascension. 3. Triggering can actually serve as mana acceleration, or get you out of a situation where you're stuck on 2 land. 4. It's important to exert as much early pressure as possible. Punch their life as much as you can. This can often cause an unskilled opponent to focus more on staying alive than winning the game, or make him launch half-hearted attacks for fear of losing. Take advantage of these situations to build your board presence in a stall with and hope for a or to overwhelm their defenses. 5. While a Mulligan guide can be tricky since you're never sure what you're playing against, generally I look for a curve-out hand: a 1-drop, a 2-drop, and a 3-drop OR; three 1-drops and a 3-drop. It may be tempting to keep a hand with one land, a and a bunch of 1-drops but be very careful. Match Ups RDW I would say we're generally favored to win this match-up. If you can build-up a first-striking life-leecher, you're in a good spot. Please do not soft-ball this game too hard; you are an aggressive deck, and I encourage punching them back if they swing with everything — especially if you have or in your hand and you know you can set up a big swing the following turn. You have an opportunity to gain life back, provided they don't have out — where as every life they lose is one permanently gone. can be really good in this match-up, as vigilant creatures are incredibly useful against RDW. Don't be afraid to attack aggressively with . They usually won't block, but if they do, activate her to diminish their board unless you're in the danger zone. Keep for and . This match-up gets exponentially harder if they manage to stick a and start throwing down to kill/weaken your board. is an absolute menace to this deck, but not everyone has them yet. Given a couple weeks, you can expect most RDW to be running the full package of , , , , and . This is, IMO, the best deck in the format until they ban and again. I can't remember the last time I lost to this deck. It's a pretty straight forward match-up. Play aggressively and try to bait out his counters. Once he hits 4 land, slow-roll him with partial attacks so he doesn't blow you out with . If he taps out for you basically get a free alpha-strike against him and he'll likely be dead. Lately they've been running as an anti-aggro card. You basically have to build a big enough board / buff to where you can make up for the lifegain while being mindful that if you attack with too much you set yourself up for a . Always assume they have another . It's anecdotal, but I've had as many as three played against me before. After 2 you may feel confidant, but you never know. U/B Control Basically you just have to be aggressive and beat their face in. You're more or less praying they don't get a Golden Demise. If they tap out for you have a turn to punch in and try to end it (or at least force them to block with Scarab in such a manner that he dies and they have to recast him), but they should be at fairly low life by the time they can cast him anyway. Mono-Green They're not going to block with their , so just punch in as early as you can. They're playing an aggressive game, too, and likely won't hold back unless they're on the ropes. Play it like an RDW and hit when you can. You're basically going to try to build a board around them while hitting as often as you can, setting up a alpha strike with , , or a surprise . and can both be a problem, with the latter being a prime target for . This is one of those match-ups where a can really help. Merfolk Strangely, this deck is an absolute nightmare for us if they start throwing +1/+1 counters everywhere. They can go as wide as we can with . is the real all-star here, turning harmless little fish-people into Godless killing machines. Multiple can be our undoing, and can generate huge value for them if he sticks. I don't have many tips other than to be as aggressive as you dare without diminishing your board. This is one of those games where feels bad if they decide to just sit their out. There is, however, a card that sort of punishes Merfolk hard. can put a stop to a lot of their nonsense, but she is a rare and takes up the crowded 2-cost slot. U/W Historic This deck is... very difficult. By way of they can flash in , their Planeswalker's, or even . Throw in and this is just kind of a nightmare match-up. Not much to say, as I've only faced it a couple times but haven't quite cracked the match-up. Card Choices — Really great card. Can generate tokens when the game goes long. Sometimes your best strategy is to go wide until you can use a or drop a to punch through a smaller board of bigger creatures. Basically generates two permanents towards Ascendency, which helps out or . — An aggressive one drop that can help break board stalls later in the game. Not much to say. — Being able to swing with this guy and your opponent not knowing whether you'll pay the life or not is valuable. This creature is a straight up beater. Even against RDW sometimes the play is to activate just to thin out their board. Can ram itself into first-strikers and survive to kill them. — This wouldn't be a deck without this guy. He's got a decent body but since it's not the magical 4 number it's sometimes best to just leave him at home as an enchantment while your other guys do the dirty work. Primary target. — Doesn't come into play tapped. Generates white mana. Buffs your field. There's no reason not to run 4. — Makes a creature a first-striker and produces a 1/1 vigilant token. Helps come online and can bounce . Helps with a grow-wide strategy and generally a decent card. Feel free to replace with another creature, though. The only thing that makes it playable is that it generates a body so it's not a complete blow out if they kill the creature you attach it to. — A questionable card. Highly telegraphed since it's an enchantment. That being said, sometimes it's really useful to be able to attack with everyone and still have defenders the next turn. It doesn't get bounced as often as you think by since usually you play them before you get (and I wouldn't suggest holding until you get a ). Can EASILY be replaced by . Definitely a flex-slot with your buffer of choice. Can be devastating when used in conjunction with . — makes this a deck, but without it would be a much, much, worse deck. This card is pretty nutty. Turn 1 it generates a 2/2 vigilant knight for 3 mana. Turn 2, you get a free 2/2/ vigilant knight. Turn 3 those knights become 4/3's without a . It's just a huge tempo card, and if you can chain them there's little your opponent can do with multiple turns of buffing/flow of units. — No-brainer pick. 2/2 First Strike with hexproof against Black and counts as a Knight. Can be replaced by , but why? — This can be / / . Cut creatures / enchantments as you see fit if you feel like you need more than 2. If you go with there will be times you wish it was a , and if you go with there will be times you wish it was a . Just the nature of the beast. Main targets are , , or anything else you just have to get rid of. Additional Card Considerations — One of the more questionable cards in my list. The 3 body isn't irrelevant, though, dodging , , and being able to chump a good deal of creatures until he comes on-line. With 4 , 4 , 4 , and / / / being enchantments it's not hard to get him going. I often attach him with a for a 1/4 first-striker so he can contribute early. If you're not comfortable with this card, replace with . — Flex slot. I run Oketra because I like kitty-momma, and she's a real headache in some match-ups. As a one of though, it's inconsistent. I've experimented with and found him a suitable replacement. Could also be a third / / 4th . She's not difficult to turn-on with the Cartouche package. — This is the card I like the least. Without a out the best it can hope to do is trade with a x/2. Doesn't get buffed by . Its only use is sometimes the opponent will be too afraid of it coming back as a 4/4 to block it, but that rarely happens. — I tried the kitty out in a "sticky" list but found that most of the time they stand around waiting for Marshall before they can go on the attack. While life-steal is relevant against RDW, I just found them to be less aggressive in other match-ups where you need every point of damage. — This card has been fairly successful for me. It can really frustrated the RDW matchup even further, and can help against Stompy by neutralizing their big threats or setting up disadvantageous trades. He's flexible, allowing you to set-up or break a board stall or go aggressive. — This can easily replace Trial of Solidarity. It's much more flexible being able to be used offensively and defensively and at instant speed. If you don't like the / package, consider this as a replacement. — A consideration for the Merfolk match-up. Basically stops their shenanigans, and there's very little they can do about it with no hard removal and just bounce spells to rely on. — Good against RDW, or at least slowing them down or drawing a . — Can be an unexpected blow-out against other aggro decks. I wouldn't run more than two, probably. In a best-of-one format, it could be pretty valuable. As a result, please watch out for decks that run white and sit on four open mana. Updates 05/01/2018 — Updated decklist. I love Snubhorn, but needed the extra aggression and stale-mate breaking power of Skymarcher without losing the synergy between Dauntless and History of Benalia. I cut the random 1-offs, and upped the count of Trial (although 3 feels too much whenever you see more than 1 in your opening hand / first couple of turns). Also separated tips pertaining to particular match-ups to their own section. Deck Rating Category:Custom DeckCategory:Dominaria Season